Before the age of the internet, word of mouth was king. Whether a person needed a recommendation for a pediatrician or handyman, they would simply bend the ear of a neighbor or coworker. However, as technology becomes increasingly more accessible, online reviews supplant the need for these endorsements, placing a world of importance on obtaining favorable web reviews. According to research, more than 90% of local customers (and potential patients) do their due diligence online before stepping into your office.

In a previous blog, we discussed how important it is to make digital an integral part of your healthcare marketing strategy. However, as digital marketing continues to evolve at such a rapid pace, it can be difficult to keep up with the various technologies and tools available today. To help you stay up to date, here are some key trends you should consider as you make your healthcare marketing plans:

Patients today do extensive research online, which means they are more particular about the healthcare services they receive. As they gain more knowledge about these services, they are also increasingly expecting personal engagement – e.g., more transparency and two-way communication – with their healthcare providers. In response, healthcare marketing is becoming more digital.

If you’re a regular visitor to the iHealthSpot blog, you’ll notice we publish a lot of posts about patient engagement. This is because two-way patient communication is essential to the success of any medical practice, as it enables you to encourage your patients to participate in their own care, resulting in more patients meeting their health goals and improved treatment outcomes.

If you’re looking for better ways to promote your medical practice, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed: search engine marketing, social media, blogs, direct mail…the options can seem endless. To help make it easier, here are five of our top tips for marketing your medical practice:

Client communication and engagement is a must for any business – and the healthcare industry is no different. Increased patient engagement has been linked to better adherence to medical plans, reduced hospitalization, and higher revenues. However, effective engagement with patients means you need to “meet” them where they spend the most time. And today, that means the internet and social media.

While business directories, and online business directories in particular, aren’t the “sexiest” form of marketing, they are an integral part of a successful digital marketing program for any healthcare practice. This is because they continue to play a significant role in the research that patients conduct when searching for a new healthcare provider – 85% of consumers use the internet to find local businesses! The fact is, your healthcare practice needs an online presence to get found. And showing up in a patient’s online search results gives you a huge advantage over other medical professionals in the area.

Have you every done an online search for your healthcare practice to see what business directories show your profile? Or have you ever seen your practice appear on a website like Yelp or YellowPages.com, yet you never added yourself to this online listing service – and in fact, the information provided isn’t even correct? Over the past several years, hundreds of online directories, both business and medical, have sprung up to help people find the right healthcare provider. But if you haven’t claimed your listings, then chances are you are losing out on a lot of new patients.

First impressions count, and on the web, it is the design of your medical website that first captures someone’s attention. It can help you gain new patients, interact with them online, provide education, and even generate positive testimonials. But it’s not just about your website’s look. Your website should be efficient and easy to navigate as well. You should also avoid certain features and functionality that people will find annoying -- because annoyed visitors will quickly “bounce” and leave your site, before they even know how you can help them.

Research shows that more than 90% of people now read online reviews, which means that word of mouth is becoming even more important. The rise of digital sites such as RateMDs, Healthgrades, Google, and Yelp have given even more power to patients. Medical practices can’t afford to be complacent when it comes to patient reviews because if they are, the internet enables any bad experience to become widely known, very quickly. In 2018, reputation management will become a priority. Healthcare providers will need to pay more attention to their positive (and negative) reviews and ratings: proactively building, monitoring, managing, and amplifying their online reputations.

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